This invention relates to an intake manifold and a valve cover preferably for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly, the invention relates to an intake manifold and valve cover module to be installed as a unit onto an engine.
An engine includes an intake manifold for delivering air from the atmosphere to the combustion chambers. Many intake manifold assemblies include fuel injectors and various valves and accessories as a module for ease of shipping and assembly of the intake manifold assembly onto the base engine assembly. The intake manifold assembly is typically installed onto an engine block and cylinder heads of the base engine assembly by threaded fasteners. Engines also include valve covers that are secured to the cylinder head by fasteners typically around the entire perimeter of the valve cover to enclose the rocker arms and intake and exhaust valves to prevent debris from entering the cylinder head and inhibiting its operation. The intake manifold assemblies and valve covers of the prior art are shipped separately and installed separately onto the base engine using many fasteners. It is desirable to provide engine assembly plants with preassembled modules to simplify the assembly of the engine. It is also desirable to use a minimal number of fasteners to speed assembly of the engine and reduce cost. Therefore, what is needed is an intake manifold assembly and valve cover module for installation onto a base engine assembly which may be shipped as a unit and installed onto the base engine assembly using a reduced number of fasteners.